I am involved in a project that aims to share open source technology and skills to global youth.  I am already running a pilot with schools in Liverpool UK and Brooklyn and the youth are incredibly excited.

I am excitied to be part of the Deep Dish TV Conference: Re-Igniting the Network Video & New Technology in the Service of Progressive Social Movements, which takes place tomorrow 2/20.

This meeting is a beginning discussion to help chart the path through an increasingly difficult terrain for people involved in social justice media work.  The two areas of discussusion are:

1.  What's Working: The State of the Art of Video Activism. Obstacles and opportunities for progressive video and film to inspire robust, invigorated progressive social movements.

2. . Connecting: Technology tools and strategies in the service of social movements.

I'll update after the weekend.

Today Benton came out to help at the last minute with production for our performance, Postgravity Art :: Syntapiens which is happening this Tuesday evening - you should buy tickets if you haven't!   Benton is a former fellow of the Education Lab, an awesome VJ and co-founder of Glowing Pictures where they create digital experiences in a world made of light.

Glowing Pictures draws upon 50 years of collective experience creating visions and visual designs. We work with a wide range of creative professionals and consultants in New York and around the world on projects that range from 1 to 100 people. We have wide ranging collaborations from scientists, engineers to performing artists to chefs and storytellers.

For the last three weeks I've been participating in the Virtual Worlds Capacity Building Program organized by Global Kids, an amazing organization in New York.  The Edge Project is part of Global Kids recent support from the MacArthur Foundation to expand the capacity of civic and cultural institutions to use new media as innovative educational platforms that engage youth in learning and promote youth civic participation. More specifically, the Edge Project is interested in civic and cultural institutions bringing cutting edge digital media into their youth educational programs.

At the end of September I had the pleasure of a surprise visit from David Gildiner, Ryan Janzen and nessie the singing water snake.  Developed by Steve Mann, the Hydraulophone is public art and the world's first water-based musical instrument. It is designed to challenge our conceptions of public art and people's interaction with it because it exists simultaneously as art and also as an interactive instrument anyone can play.  It literally makes music from water. The keys of the piano are replaced with water jets. When you interact with the water flowing from its jets you create music - each jet is a different key - Hydraulikeys.  Every other instrument uses only two of the three states of matter - gas and solids. This introduces the third state of matter to the orchestra - water.

looking for something fun this weekend - visit Video Dumbo http://www.videodumbo.org/

In addition to the weekend long screenings of new contemporary video art, this year's edition of video_dumbo will feature: video_installations, guest curated program, two book presentations and DVD release, two live AV performances:

Opening reception:
Friday Sept. 25th
7 pm, 81 Front Street gallery

On Thursday, May 7th 2009, 15 Loughlin students in Brooklyn had a video-conference call via Skype with students from St. Francis Assisi Academy in Liverpool, England. The purpose of the call was to share thoughts about global warming. St. Francis is also a Lasallian school and the conversation was part of a community project they did called Climate for Change.